Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-11-21
Deacon Gibbs Thanks
giving.

eyes, and ] must say I'm glad of
it. A lone woman amt got no bust
ness a-trying to farm, no way. Tho
| must say I've made out pretty well,
this year. | cleared six hundred dol
lars on the wheat, over and above
paving for the harvestin', threshin' :,
and the like And I've sold the hay,
clover and timothy mixed for about
three hundred more. But it's awful
wearin' on woman, a-tendin to
things and watchin' that the hands
| don't shirk nor nothin' AS | was
saying, lone woman amt got no
business with a farm. Twas differ
ent before Aaron died." and Mrs.
Belinda Blossom gave a regretful
sigh to the memory of the dead and
gone Aaron.
E'You needn't be a lone woman no
longer than you want to, Belindy, -
quietly observed her sister, Mrs. Je-
NINA Hatch. "There's Deacon Gibbs,
now, would give his eyes to
''Don't say Deacon Gibbs to me, :"
retorted the widow. '1Don't | know
what he's after? Don't he know as
we'll as | do that I've got eight thous-
and dollars put away snug and safe
in the Blueglass bank? | haven't a
doubt he'd like to get the handlin' Of
it, but he never will. | can tell him
/ that"
/ ''Sho, now Belinda" demonstrated
Mrs. Hatch. ''What's the use IN max
in the poor man out wuss than he is !?
l don't know as he's any likelier to be
after the money than Lawyer Greene. p"
''Lawyer Greene has got money
himself, and it stands to reason 'taint
so much of an object to him. Be
sides | haven't said
"Oh, no, you haven't said, | know,
but body can put two and two to-
gether, | reckon. Well, all l have
got to say is, I'd ruther have Deacon
Gibbs any day, if it was me, than
that smooth-spoke, iley lookin' law
yer. But / must be a-gettin' home ;
Bijah'll want his supper, time it's
ready" and Mrs. Hatch rolled up her
knitting, wrapped it carefully in a
cloth, and put on her black sun-bon-
net and blue yarn ''half hands,
''You might have stayed to sup
per, Jemima," said the widow, re-
proachfully. 81 was going to have
cream cookies and some of them
Lawton blackberry preserves you are
so fond of"
''Wal, I'd like mighty well to stay,
Belindy, but Bijah, he'll be a-lookin'
for me to hev supper ready when he
comes in from the field. He's always
as hungry as a beaver at night, and
amt left nothin' cooked so he could
get himself bite. | reckon I'd bet
tel go. Be you goin' to Mis- Lar
com quiltin' next week.
"Oh, | s'pose so. Mis- Larcom
would get miffed, if | didn't" and
after another five or ten minutes con-
versation, Mrs. Hatch got started
home.
Mrs. Belinda Blossom was typi
cal widow, fair, fat, and not quite
forty, and was known as the best
housekeeper in and about the neigh
borhood where she lived.
With even less personal attrac
tions and good qualities than she
possessed, she might have exchanged
her widows weeds for bridal attire
long ago, if she had so desired. How
ever, for some season best known to
herself, she had preferred to remain
clone woman" as she called it, so
far Whether she would remain SO
much longer was a queStIOn IhaG puZ-
zled herself quite as much as it did
some other parties.
1t was the day of Mrs. Larcom's
quilting and supper was almost ready.
The quilt was already out, and by a
little preconcerted manRuyre on the